Honda's Hero:

With it\'s winning debut at the final round of the Nationals, which culminated in winning the overall National 125cc title the CRF250R has made it loud and clear it is here to stay and here to win.

“Packed with world class features, this is the motocrosser we have been waiting for,” says Clive Cooper-Smith, General Manager of Blue Wing Honda, “In dealerships this month, the CRF250R is sure to impress”.

Imagine a four-stroke motocross racer that is actually lighter than its two-stroke counterpart; impossible right? With the 2004 CRF250R the impossible becomes reality. Weighing 93.4kg dry the new CRF250R is 3kg lighter than the 2004 CR250R two-stroke, a machine that in Ricky Carmichael’s hands emerged as an overpowering force in the toughest Supercross and Motocross races in the world.

The themes of lightness of design and engine durability echo throughout the quarter-litre CRF powerplant. In fact, this 249cc four-stroke engine weighs only 24kgs, a mere .7 kgs more than the CR250R powerplant that’s less weight than a bottle of your favorite beverage. High-tech touches include the use of lightweight magnesium to reduce the weight of the ACG cover, clutch cover and cylinder head cover; and the vertically split crankcases feature a built-in oil pump, which reduces weight compared to a conventional design.

As befitting a next-generation Honda motocrosser, the CRF250R boasts a wealth of high-quality chassis components. The fork is a lightweight 47mm inverted Showa twin-chamber cartridge unit, fully adjustable with 315mm of travel. And now the inner surface of the forks outer tubes receive the same honing treatment as works bikes for ultra-low-friction operation, a first for a production MX bike. Hondas much respected Pro-Link suspension system graces the rear end, and delivers 312mm of fully adjustable travel.

Large, 240mm disc brakes have been mounted front and rear, with a dual-piston caliper up front. The aluminum swingarm features a dual-axis, double-taper design, with a stout cast aluminum cross-member for rigidity. HRC works-type lightweight aluminum spoke nipples help reduce unsprung weight.

Other Team Honda-inspired touches include a durable Renthal handlebar, a quick-adjust clutch perch for easy on-the-fly adjustments, and newly designed plastic bodywork for a more aggressive look plus lighter weight. Then there’s the trick non-slip seat cover, plus the new-generation Dunlop D742 front tire, complimenting the D756 rear, the list of trick bits just keeps going on and on.